


Going Straight To The Top

by RyuuseiRiderJackie



Series: Rider!Izuku One Shots [2]
Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Good Parent Midoriya Inko, Hints of Dadzawa if you squint, Knowledge of Kamen Rider Isn't Needed, Once More A Technical Lyric Fic, Oops I Made Izuku A Rider Again, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Smart Midoriya Izuku, This Time Based On Mystery Skulls' It's Mine, Uraraka Ochako is a Good Friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27395494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuuseiRiderJackie/pseuds/RyuuseiRiderJackie
Summary: Who cares if wanting to be a hero isn't "Realistic"? Izuku is going to be one, because that is his dream. He'll be a better hero than anyone else ever has been, and he'll do so by making his own power.He'll start off from Zero, and become Number One.
Series: Rider!Izuku One Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001289
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	Going Straight To The Top

**Author's Note:**

> So, as soon as I posted Time For Givin' Up The Ghost, my mind went "Okay, do that again, but make him someone else." I WANTED to work on Wishing Stars, but then I couldn't think about anything else except for making Izuku a rider. So, I figured if I get these ideas out of my head when they pop up, it will help me focus on the fics I want to write. So, now it's a whole series. Here's Izuku as Zero-One. Once more just make the main color a forest green.
> 
> Greem.........
> 
> Oh, right, there's also mentions of suicide baiting, so watch out!

_ “Put My Money Where My Mouth Is _

_ Like I Ain't Even Need To Practice _

_ I  _ **_Used To Be Up In The Rafters_ **

_ I’m Going Straight To The Top” _

It was easy for Izuku to hide his intelligence. Far too easy, considering no one would think twice about the weak, cowardly, quirkless  _ Deku _ that sits at the back of the class.

No one actually reads his hero journals aside from himself, and that’s probably for the best. If anyone really looked at the info he put in on them, they might actually find ways to avoid his way to overcome their quirks… If he ever put his written words into practice. He has to keep his head down if he wants to get anywhere for now. They call him a stalker, but he’s only using what he’s been able to observe. It’s not like he knows everything.

But he knows enough to make Support Items.

It’s always been in the back of his head. Ideas, swarming around like a herd of locusts, no, grasshoppers, jumping back and forth as he thinks of ways he could be a hero. At one point he thought he would focus primarily on arm enhancements and wing it, but after last week… No, he won’t let that happen. What’s the opposite of punches? Kicks.

Kicks are better for him anyways. His legs are stronger, since he’s had to run away from fights all the time, so if he focuses on those instead, it might be better. Still, adding extra support to his arms would be in his best interest anyways, since it would give him options. Maybe a full body suit then? Yes, that would be for the best.

A cybernetic suit that can adapt to the environment and provide strength, speed, and defense. It would have to be easily deployable in case of emergency, and easy to manipulate. A belt based system, with keys used to change appearances. He shouldn’t make the design overly complex, he still wants to be a symbol to the people after all. He can’t- **Won’t** be a symbol of peace, but he can be something else… So, easy on the eyes, and with an appeal that can provide some kind of ideal in times of need…

Animals are well liked, so base the armor on that. Now, what animal should he make it based on mainly? Kicks, appeals to a wide audience, easy to grasp…

Didn’t he equate his mind to a swarm of Grasshoppers earlier?

* * *

_ “It Ain't Never Been A Question _

**_Cut The Check And Pay Attention_ **

_ Y'all About To Learn A Lesson _

_ It’s Coming Straight From The Top” _

Shota Aizawa wasn’t one so easily drawn away from his job. There were a lot of risks that came with being an underground hero, and losing focus at any time was sure to cause a good number of problems associated with those risks. But even still, his attention can’t help but be drawn to the teen with a mop of green carting away a giant pile of metal, a notebook held in his opposite hand.

“It’s a little late to be carting away trash, kid.” He said, dropping down from the telephone poll with a soft thud.

“Not trash, salvaged metal. Time doesn’t matter to me. There’s a villain attack three blocks back, so you might want to get on that Eraserhead.” The kid says back, not once looking up from his notebook.

Aizawa is taken back by the words. Salvaged metal, a lack of care to the hour, and the kid knew who he was?! Wait, shit, villain attack- Aizawa goes to run, but not before getting one last look at the kid.

Green hair, green eyes, freckles. Memorize the face, and see if you can find him again.

Aizawa takes off towards the villain attack, finding his fellow teacher Present Mic fighting a flame throwing villain. It takes only a few moments for the underground hero to erase the villain’s quirk, and he’s stuck in a conversation with the loud blonde. But, his mind wanders back to the teen.

And it zooms back to thoughts of him again when Aizawa sees the kid again next week, heading towards that junkyard that one might have called a beach at some point. He’s off the clock now, so he can afford to watch the kid for some time. He trails behind, watching the teen from the shadows. He watches as the green haired boy places some more metal from the beach, placing it in the little cart he’s dragging with him. Aizawa watches as the teen takes the metal away from the beach, and walks off, heading towards an apartment building, and enters one of the units. Aizawa watches as blue light soon starts sparking from one of the windows attached to the building.

It’s clear the kid is building something now at least. But why would he need all that metal? It’s not really even going to do anything, not unless he can refine it somehow. But that takes some serious work, or some kind of metal working quirk. But it doesn’t seem like the kid would have one.

Aizawa supposes it doesn’t really matter, but he doesn think the kid could use a bit of protection if he keeps going out this late at night. He’ll watch the teen for a little while longer, making sure he comes home at least, and jump in if he’s absolutely needed.

So, he ends up watching this teen for some time, and learns several things.

First, his name is Izuku Midoriya. Aizawa learns this from when he gets a better look at the notebook always in his hands, the name printed underneath the title. Speaking of, he’s building something that the notebook has labelled Project RealXEyez. No clue what that means, but once again, Aizawa supposes it doesn’t really matter. Though, what he’s doing at the beach does matter in a way. He’s not just salvaging the metal he gets from the beach, he’s taking trash off the beach as well. Figured this out when he saw that the piles of trash were getting smaller over time. On weekend nights is when Midoriya goes to salvage metal and work on RealXEyez. It seems other free time is devoted to making sure that the beach is cleaned.

It would explain the muscle the kid has been building up slowly over time.

Some of the trash is even sold off, so the kid is earning up a bit of money on the side too. Not a bad idea if Aizawa thinks about it, but it still raises a question of what that money is being used for. Hell, it doesn’t answer the full question of what Midoriya is doing there anyways. Why is he salvaging metal, what is he building, and why is he building it?

Somehow, what started on a whim, ended up becoming a personal investigation for Aizawa. One that he wouldn’t solve until the Entrance Exam in four months.

* * *

_ “You Ain't Never Seen It Coming _

**_Telling Me That I Was Nothing_ **

_ Because I Started From The Bottom _

_ I’m Going Straight To The Top” _

Deku had changed after the sludge villain. It was actually pretty easy to see, but no one else in this shitty school paid enough attention to him to actually tell. Well, no one but Katsuki.

The nerd wore tape over his mouth in class, which kept his mumbles hidden from everyone. His notebooks were hardcover now, with a fucking lock on them too. Any glances Katsuki had at what was inside showed some fucking gibberish and numbers, and drawings of some dumbass armor. 

The weirdest change was how he never geeked out over heroes anymore. 

Katsuki and that Deku had the same route home, but Deku always ran out as soon as he could, and went a different way. So, deciding he had nothing better to do, he followed the nerd one day. As luck would have it, a villain attack broke out. Ryuko, one of the top ten, actually showed up to fight the villain. Katsuki was sure that Deku had stopped to watch, but instead he just kept on walking. They passed another hero during an interview, Uwabami, and the reporters tried calling out to Deku to get an opinion.

“Busy.” Was all he had to say.

What the fuck. What the fuck?! This was probably going to be the only way that nerd could ever have any kind of fame, and he just fucking… Walked away?

Soon enough, Deku finally came to a stop in front of a beach. Katsuki watched from the top of the wall overlooking the beach as the nerd got to work moving the trash around. So he was cleaning a beach? What the fuck is that about?

He pushed the trash into one pile, before walking over to his backpack. He digs around in it, before pulling out some black brick. “Let’s try this once more…” He says to himself, slapping the brick against his waist as it closes around him like a belt. He pulls out his phone from his pocket. “Ark Metal materialization test number nine. Starting now.”

He pulls out a smaller brick and places it against the belt brick gently. Green light flows out through the belt, as metal begins to form into a shape. Growing in size and getting bigger and bigger, a giant robotic grasshopper slams down onto the grass of the beach. It rattles its metal wings, letting out a shrill chirp. Katsuki backs up a bit as the robot starts jumping around, creating craters on the beach with each landing.

Deku slides the small brick into the belt, and the robot falls apart, green chains linking to his body as a black suit forms overtop. The robot shrinks, turning into armor with a forest green plate look. Two red buggy eyes pierce out from the green plate covering his helmet, shining a bright light.

“Materialization test successful.” Deku says to himself, his head looking down for a bit as he looks over the armor. “Maybe think about a quicker link, just in case…”

Katsuki watches in shock. Since when the hell could Deku make shit like this?! It’s not like it matters, it’s just armor, it’s not like it can even do anything.

“Alright. Time for some strength tests.” Deku looks at the pile of trash. Small red accents on the armor glow for a moment, sand blasting out as his legs send him forward suddenly. He tears a leg back, and kicks it into the trash pile, breaking it apart with a single strike, a gust of wind whipping up with the impact. “Hmm, not enough. I should work on upping the Hopper strength, increase shin plating as well…”

“What the fuck are you doing Deku?!” Katsuki yells, and finally the nerd notices him. But instead of stuttering in fear like he should, the fucker just kicks up more sand as he jumps away, bouncing across the fucking beach like a goddamn grasshopper. “Damn it, don’t run!” Katsuki shouts, but it’s too late. Even if he used his explosions to boost his speed, Katsuki wouldn’t be able to keep up with whatever the hell Deku is doing in that weird suit.

Not like it matters. Deku won’t be able to amount to anything after middle school. Let him have this shitty armor.

Least it explains why the sight of the beach brought life back into his eyes.

* * *

_ “Peace And Love To All The Haters _

_ They Be Testing On My Patience _

**_'Bout To Get An Education_ **

_ Straight From The Top” _

‘Well, that was a total bust.’ Toshinori thought to himself as he walked away from Nighteye’s agency. Despite offering One For All to Young Togata, he was actually refused! Sure, the young man explained he wanted to be a hero on his own merits, and that was honorable, but he was still the closest thing he had to a successor yet.

Toshinori made his way through Musutafu, barely paying attention to his surroundings. Which is how it was so easy for him to bump into somebody… And fall over.

Which, that was a surprise. Even when in his weakened form, he was pretty sturdy thanks to his height. Still, he fell down, it’s as simple as getting back up again.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t notice you there!” The person he bumped into speaks, slowly turning around. “Here, let me he- Oh.” The person stops talking. Toshinori looks up, and he’s surprised to see one of the young men he had saved a good eight months ago. What was his name again? Midoriya, right. “Uh, here.” He holds out a hand, which Toshinori takes.

Kind. Good trait for a person.

“Thank you.” Toshinori says with a smile. He looks around, noticing the area. Dagobah Municipal Beach Park… This was going to be the place he would train Young Togata in One For All. It’s almost completely clean. “Uhm, would you happen to know who’s been cleaning this beach?”

Midoriya looks at him in shock, as if he expected him to just leave. He straightens out his expression and looks towards the shore. “It uh… It’s me.” He replies, looking down at his arms to show a box of trash. “I figured I could use it to build up muscle and help the community. My mom also used to love going to this beach when she was younger, and I wanted to see why she loved it so much, so I’m getting a few birds with one stone.”

“I see…” Toshinori replies, looking at the young man. He’s not as scrawny as he once was, in fact he seems like he could bench a good amount. He still has some baby fat, but he’s still growing so it makes sense. “Have you made any plans for what you’ll be doing after middle school?”

“Are you asking if I’m still going to try and be a hero?”

Toshinori flinches a bit. “Yes, I, er… Was getting to that…” No, he was going to be as cryptic as possible, because he isn’t sure how to speak to this young man.

“I am.” Midoriya responds, and that gives Toshinori an idea.

“Tell me, Young Midoriya, if the choice was offered to you, would you take a quirk?” Toshinori asks, and for a moment he has hope the boy will answer in the way he wants.

“No.” Midoriya says, and Toshinori falters. “All my life, I waited and waited for one to show up. For a power all my own to pop into existence, and my life to finally change. But that never happened. People would keep telling me to give up, keep saying I should jump off a roof, keep believing that there was no chance for my dreams to ever succeed.” His fists tighten, and looks Toshinori in the eye, a fire burning brighter than the sun itself reflected in his vision. “But I think your words hurt the most. ‘Be Realistic’... Well I say… Fuck your realism! If I want to dream, I’m going to damn well dream! And I’m going to tell other people to do the same!”

Toshinori watches as the teen turns away in anger, a strange belt wrapping around his waist. “Nothing you could say or do can change that. If you’re the symbol of peace, who saves with a smile… Then I’ll be a Symbol of Dreams, who inspires people to be stronger than before, and creates their smiles.” He slides a strange box into the belt, a robotic grasshopper jumping out and attaching itself to him, black and green armor forming overtop of him. He turns to face Toshinori, the red eyes of the helmet piercing his vision.

“Here’s a lesson for you: Be wary of the people starting at Zero. It only takes their first step to reach number One.” The young man crouches down, before he jumps off, a small crack forming in the concrete as he lifts off.

Toshinori considers buffing up to pursue him, but he decides against it. There would be no point. Midoriya made his choice, and Toshinori made his mistake.

Maybe if he had been kinder after the sludge incident, things would be different.

_ “I appreciate the help in buying time for me young man, but what you had done was incredibly dangerous.” _

_ “Yessir. I only got in the way. I’m heading home now, and I’ll be sure to stay out of your way from now on.” _

Toshinori feels a spark in his heart, and a tug moving in the direction of Midoriya. One For All… It wanted him, didn’t it? Someone who would risk his own life for another, even without any real strength of his own… Like Toshinori had been once.

He lowers his head and walks away, thinking about how this legacy of strength may just end up dying with him.

* * *

_ “This Is For The Taking _

_ This Is  _ **_For The Crown_ **

_ Time Ain't Slowing Down” _

Nezu had never been fond of humans. Well, most of them at least. He had three groups of humans he wouldn’t mind existing alongside of: Children (easier to teach them kindness, and easier for them to unlearn cruelty), Trusted Heroes (Eraserhead was trusted, Endeavor was not), and Quirkless People (for being treated as lesser than human, like he once was). That’s partly the reason he removed the rule that you needed a Quirk to apply to the school when he became principal.

So, the student that has both All Might and Eraserhead watching in eagerness caught his attention as well. A child, with quite the number of Rescue and Attack points, and according to the file associated with him, was quirkless, earning the attention of his two most trusted staff members…

This Izuku Midoriya must be something else.

“Tell me, Aizawa, what do you think of this examinee?” Nezu asks, pointing at Midoriya.

“He’s one of the only test takers here actually putting his all into the activities. I’m not grading his center anyways, so why are you asking me?” 

“Because I appreciate the input of my teachers, of course!” And truly, he does! But Nezu’s staff is fearful of him (rightfully so) and doubt him when he speaks in his chipper voice. “And you, All Might? You are not grading at all, and yet you seem to be focused on him in particular.” Nezu’s paw reaches for a certain button, a smile stretching across his face.

“He… I met him twice before. Both times he thought of others before himself.” He confesses, and this intrigues Nezu.

“Oh? So, if he is that helpful to others, why do you look at him as though he is going to kill anyone who talks to him wrong?”

The man flinches, looking away. “Because I was the one who almost killed his dream.” He whispers, his pitch high so that Nezu is the only one who hears him.

“I see… I suppose I will have to discuss that with you. Especially seeing as he will be my personal student once he’s accepted.” Nezu says, and the silence that fills the observation room could be cut with a butter knife. Nezu smirks as he presses the release button.

Nezu would very much like to see how the boy handles a giant robot in that odd armor of his.

* * *

_ “You're  _ **_Always Doubting Me_ **

_ Downing My Energy _

_ And Now You're Listening _

_ And Looking At A King _

_ You're Looking Like A Clown _

_ It's Time For You And Me _

_ Now What's It Gonna Be?” _

Inko is very much aware that ever since Izuku was diagnosed as quirkless she’s been a bit… Coddling. She just never wanted him to get hurt, that’s all! But, even still, over the past year, Izuku has been… Distant.

They would talk!... Briefly, if ever. Long hours at the Firm and in the Courtrooms meant she wasn’t home often, but even when she was he wasn’t around much. It was a little like this before, but Izuku was much warmer then than he was now. Now, he was almost robotic, only responding when he was talked to, and even the soft mutterings she would hear when he was in his room watching hero reports had ceased.

He has red marks on his face sometimes, a rectangular strip stretching across his mouth, like something’s been covering it all day.

Even when he made it into his dream school, in the Hero Course, his dream class, he was quiet. Inko cheered and hugged him, but Izuku was quiet.

Eventually, it was the night before his first class at UA. They were eating a hearty helping of Katsudon, Izuku’s favorite, and watching a news report. All Might shows up, and Izuku winces, looking away from the screen. Inko frowns.

Ever since he was saved by the man a year ago, he’d been like this. He sold all of his All Might merch, stopped talking about him, most heroes in general, and reserved himself. Inko had decided she had had enough.

“You know, I dress my hair like this because of my favorite hero from when I was about your age.” She says, catching his attention. “Her name was Maverick. She… She was a bit like my All Might in a way. Super strong, and able to soar through the skies… She always had her hair tied up like this.” She points at the top of her head. “When she passed fighting a villain in Shibuya… I was crushed. She had inspired me to do things I was scared of… When All Might showed up in your life because of that video, I was sure you were going to want your hair slicked back, with two antennae pointed out like a V!” She chuckles, looking down at her bowl of food. “But you didn’t… Do you remember why?”

“I… I said my hair should always look like yours, because you were there for me.” Izuku says, looking at her sadly.

Inko reaches a hand across the table, laying it across Izuku’s own hand. “I won’t pretend to know what happened that day of the sludge incident, but I do know this: I put so much doubt into your chance of survival, that it made what must have made a hard life at least a little bit harder. But I won’t do that anymore. Even if no one else will believe in you, then I will. Because as your mother, it is my job to look after you. But it’s also my job to support you in whatever you do, and Izuku…” She moves her hand to his cheek, cupping it softly. “You are going to be the greatest hero of all time.”

Izuku looks at her, really looks at her for the first time in almost a year, and begins to tear up. His voice cracks and whines as he tries to rub his head further into her hand for comfort. Inko softly smiles as she stays there for her son, letting him do what he needs to.

Izuku tells her a lot of things that night. How he went through all of that bullying, how he never wanted her to worry, the suicide baiting, All Might telling him to give up, everything with Katsuki… But the most important thing to her that night was this: “You were always my greatest strength mom… Don’t doubt yourself either!”

And she cries. Not her usual over the top crying, but a quiet stream of tears that accompanies a smile as she hugs her son. She’s going to be doing a lot of things from here on to make sure Izuku lives a happier life. Even as she goes to bed, she plans on how she’ll sue the ever loving shit out of Izuku’s former middle school, but the morning after is what matters for now.

Because as Izuku steps out the door, a smile on his face (a real honest to god smile), a tie around his neck (he learned how to do it himself, and it looks better than his first stubby attempt from the beginning of the month), and red shoes on his feet, Inko only has this to say.

“You are the coolest, strongest person I know, Izuku. Now go knock ‘em dead!”

* * *

_ “ _ **_It’s Mine_ ** _ , Right Now” _

Izuku’s life was shit before the sludge incident, and it was shit after. But, it was less shit. He started working out, he started training his mouth to quiet his ramblings, he made sure to hide away his notebooks in any way he could. A pro hero became his guardian angel for some reason (why Eraserhead kept following him home, he had no idea), Kacchan started to take him more seriously for some reason (saying stuff like he should at least be a boulder instead of a pebble now, whatever that means), and he finally said what needed to be said. Both to All Might and to his Mom.

He walks up to his classroom for the next year or so, a large 1-A printed across it. He swallows his nerves, and reaches his hand out to open the door. “Oh, it’s you!” A voice calls out to him, and he turns to see a girl with brown hair in a bob walking up to him. “I’m so happy you made it in, Batta Guy!”

“Batta Guy?” Izuku asks with a chuckle. He reaches a hand out. “My name is, uh, actually Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t know your name, and you looked like a Grasshopper when you kicked the Giant Robot into the sky! I’m Ochako Uraraka, nice to meet you Izu-kun!”

Izuku is taken a bit back by her cheeriness, unused to kindness like this. Might as well get her hating him out of the way. “Uhm, Uraraka-san, you might not want to be friendly with me… I mean, being with friends with the quirkless student will be sure to ruin your reputation-”

“That’s so cool!” Ochako cheers, cutting Izuku off. He looks at her in surprise, the girl looking at him with starry eyes. “I’ve never met someone without a quirk before! And you passed the hero course test too?! Oh, did you make that armor too then?! Oh, I bet you did! That’s so cool, Izu-kun!”

The girl opens the door, and a tall blue haired boy speed walks over to them, bowing to Izuku for some mistake at the entrance exam. Eraserhead shows up, looking at the tree with a grimace, except for the small hint of a smile when he looks at Izuku.

Izuku isn’t sure what life is going to be like now. He’d been so used to having to close himself away from others, he isn’t sure how to speak with people like this anymore. But, he can't help but feel himself smile. He started from being a Zero, but he’s already on the way to being Number One…

  
  
  
  
  


Huh. Zero-One wouldn’t be that bad of a hero name, would it?

**Author's Note:**

> Is this even any good? IDK, people seemed to like the Ghost one, so maybe this one will be okay too. (Then again, I think people liked that I hurt pretty much everyone in that fic, so who knows.)
> 
> In any case, like before, this is just a one shot. If YOU want to continue this, go on ahead, cause I'm not stopping you. I'm able to answer any potential lore questions you want, and if you want me to read something for your own continuation, I'll gladly do so. But I'm just getting these out of my head for now.
> 
> Check out my other works if you're interested in what I do. I have a tumblr (@shootingstarheroacademia) if you want to bother me. I'm thinking about setting up a discord, but I'm not too sure yet... That's all.
> 
> Hopefully I can finish the next chapter of Wishing Stars now...


End file.
